Particle prevention in wafer edge trimming

ABSTRACT

In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to method for trimming and cleaning an edge of a wafer. The method includes trimming an outer edge portion of the wafer with a blade along a continuously connected trim path to define a new sidewall of the wafer. The trimming produces contaminant particles on the wafer. Further, the method includes applying deionized water to the new sidewall of the wafer with water nozzles to remove the contaminant particles. The method also includes applying pressurized gas to the wafer at a first top surface area of the wafer with an air jet nozzle. The pressurized gas is directed outward from a center of the wafer to remove remaining contaminant particles. The applying of deionized water and the applying of pressurized gas are performed in a same chamber as the trimming.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This Applications is a Divisional of U.S. application Ser. No.16/534,310, filed on Aug. 7, 2019, the contents of which are herebyincorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND

Semiconductor device fabrication is a process used to create integratedcircuits that are present in everyday electronic devices. Thefabrication process is a multiple-step sequence of photolithographic andchemical processing steps during which electronic circuits are graduallycreated on a wafer composed of a semiconducting material. Duringfabrication, the edge of the wafer may become damaged or otherwiseunsuitable for use with electronic circuits. Hence, the edge of thewafer may be trimmed during fabrication. During wafer edge trimming,contaminant particles may be present. Cleaning processes are used toremove the contaminant particles from wafer edge trimming to producereliable semiconductor devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Aspects of the present disclosure are best understood from the followingdetailed description when read with the accompanying figures. It isnoted that, in accordance with the standard practice in the industry,various features are not drawn to scale. In fact, the dimensions of thevarious features may be arbitrarily increased or reduced for clarity ofdiscussion.

FIGS. 1A, 1B, and 1C illustrate a perspective view, a cross-sectionalview, and a top-view, respectively, of a wafer trimming and cleaningapparatus comprising a solution nozzle and an air jet nozzle.

FIGS. 2A, 2B, and 2C illustrate a perspective view, a cross-sectionalview, and a top-view, respectively, of a wafer trimming and cleaningapparatus comprising an air jet nozzle.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view of an air jet nozzlecomprising a first antistatic system.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a solution nozzlecomprising a second antistatic system.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view of a solution nozzle and anair jet nozzle configured to clean a wafer.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, 8A, and 8B illustrate cross-sectional views andtop-views of some embodiments of a method of trimming and cleaning awafer using a blade apparatus, a solution nozzle, and an air jet nozzle.

FIG. 9 illustrates a flow diagram of some embodiments of the methodillustrated in FIGS. 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, 8A, and 8B.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The following disclosure provides many different embodiments, orexamples, for implementing different features of the provided subjectmatter. Specific examples of components and arrangements are describedbelow to simplify the present disclosure. These are, of course, merelyexamples and are not intended to be limiting. For example, the formationof a first feature over or on a second feature in the description thatfollows may include embodiments in which the first and second featuresare formed in direct contact, and may also include embodiments in whichadditional features may be formed between the first and second features,such that the first and second features may not be in direct contact. Inaddition, the present disclosure may repeat reference numerals and/orletters in the various examples. This repetition is for the purpose ofsimplicity and clarity and does not in itself dictate a relationshipbetween the various embodiments and/or configurations discussed.

Further, spatially relative terms, such as “beneath,” “below,” “lower,”“above,” “upper” and the like, may be used herein for ease ofdescription to describe one element or feature's relationship to anotherelement(s) or feature(s) as illustrated in the figures. The spatiallyrelative terms are intended to encompass different orientations of thedevice in use or operation in addition to the orientation depicted inthe figures. The apparatus may be otherwise oriented (rotated 90 degreesor at other orientations) and the spatially relative descriptors usedherein may likewise be interpreted accordingly.

During semiconductor device fabrication, integrated circuits may beformed on a wafer made of a semiconductor material. In some fabricationmethods, edges of the wafer become damaged or are unreliable duringfabrication, and thus are removed. For example, in some embodiments, thewafer may be warped at its edges. In other embodiments, multiple wafersand/or layers are stacked upon and bonded to one another, and at theedges of the stack, the bonding may be weak. Even further, in someembodiments, robots may contact the wafer at the edges fortransportation, causing damage.

A method for removing damaged edges of a wafer may, for example, includeplacing the wafer on a wafer chuck and continuously trimming off thedamaged wafer edges using a blade apparatus. The blade apparatus mayinclude a spinning blade and multiple water nozzles. As the blade trimsoff the damaged wafer edges, contaminant particles may be left behind onthe trimmed wafer edge. The multiple water nozzles apply deionized waterto the trimmed wafer edge as the blade is trimming in order to clean thewafer by removing the contaminant particles. However, the contaminantparticles may be very small, and difficult to remove. For example, thecontaminant particles may get trapped in different crevices on the waferedge, and also within the wafer and/or the integrated circuits that maybe present on a top surface of the wafer. In some embodiments, thedeionized water applied by the multiple water nozzles is localized tothe trimmed wafer edge and a small portion of the top surface of thewafer adjacent to the trimmed wafer edge. Oftentimes, contaminantparticles still remain on the top surface of the wafer, and a mixture ofthe contaminant particles and deionized water may flow towards thecenter of the wafer instead of off of the top surface of the wafer.Also, in some embodiments, the deionized water may not be effective toremove such small contaminant particles. Further, the contaminantparticles may comprise different materials and thus, have differenttypes of attractive forces that keep the contaminant particles on thewafer surface. For example, in some embodiments, the contaminantparticles may comprise a semiconductor material (e.g., silicon,germanium, etc.), an oxide (e.g., silicon oxide, silicon oxynitride,etc.), a metal (e.g., copper, aluminum, tungsten, etc.), or acombination thereof. Thus, in some embodiments, the semiconductor devicemay still be damaged and unreliable after wafer edge trimming due to thepresence of contaminant particles.

Various embodiments of the present disclosure provide wafer trimming andcleaning apparatuses and methods for trimming and cleaning a wafer toremove damaged edges and still produce reliable electronic devices. Insome embodiments, the apparatus includes a blade, water nozzles, asolution nozzle, and an air jet nozzle. The blade is configured to trimoff the damaged edges to define a new sidewall, and the aforementionednozzles are configured to clean the wafer by removing any contaminantparticles as the blade is trimming; thus, the trimming and cleaning areperformed in-situ. The water nozzles are configured to removecontaminant particles present on the new sidewall of the wafer byapplying deionized water to the new edge. However, contaminant particlesmay be present on a top surface of the wafer. Therefore, the solutionnozzle is configured to clean a first top surface area of the wafer thatis adjacent to the new sidewall of the wafer. In other words, the firsttop surface area has an edge that intersects with the new sidewall ofthe wafer. The solution nozzle is configured to apply a cleaningsolution to the first top surface area that removes the contaminantparticles off of the wafer. The cleaning solution may comprise asurfactant, a solution of deionized water and nanobubbles, or anothercleaning chemical. The cleaning solution has properties that effectivelyremove the contaminant particles that are attracted to the wafer.However, still, contaminant particles and/or the cleaning solution maybe present on the top surface of the wafer. For example, somecontaminant particles still may be in crevices on the wafer, or thecleaning solution may have not fully forced the contaminant particlesoff of the wafer. Thus, the air jet nozzle is configured to then clean asecond top surface area of the wafer, which includes the first topsurface area, by applying a pressurized gas to the wafer, to agitate,dislodge and push off any remaining contaminant particles and/orsolutions.

The aforementioned method produces reliable devices (e.g., deviceshaving a high wafer acceptance test performance) for many reasons. Forexample, by performing the trimming and cleaning steps in-situ, themethod is efficient and does not add extra time to the fabricationprocess. Additionally, the method provides up to three cleaning nozzlesthat utilize different solutions, which provides a variety of differentproperties/scientific principles to effectively remove contaminantparticles that may be different from one another in size, in material,and in location on the wafer.

FIG. 1A illustrates a perspective view 100A of some embodiments of awafer trimming and cleaning apparatus comprising a solution nozzle andan air jet nozzle.

The wafer trimming and cleaning apparatus includes a blade apparatus 104which structurally supports a blade 124, a spray nozzle 126, a showernozzle 128, and a blade cooler nozzle 130. A wafer chuck 122 is disposedbeneath the blade apparatus 104 and is configured to hold a wafer 102.The wafer 102 is illustrated as transparent such that the bladeapparatus 104 is still visible. The blade 124 is configured to trim anouter edge of the wafer 102 along a trim path 108. As the blade 124rotates and trims the wafer 102 along the trim path 108, damaged edgeportions of the wafer 102 are removed and undamaged edge portions of thewafer 102 remain. The blade cooler nozzle 130 is configured to applydeionized water to the blade 124 as it is rotating and trimming thewafer 102 to avoid heat damage to the wafer 102 and/or the blade 124.The spray nozzle 126 and the shower nozzle 128 also apply deionizedwater to the blade 124 and the wafer 102 to aid in performing a cleancut to the wafer 102 along the trim path 108. Together, the spray nozzle126, the shower nozzle 128, and the blade cooler nozzle 130 may belabeled as the water nozzles of the blade apparatus 104. In someembodiments, the spray nozzle 126 and/or the shower nozzle 128 directthe deionized water to the new sidewall of the wafer 102 after trimmingto remove any contaminant particles from the new sidewall of the wafer102 generated from the blade 124 during trimming. The spray nozzle 126and/or the shower nozzle 128 may also direct the deionized water to afirst top surface area of the wafer 102, wherein the first top surfacearea of the wafer 102 shares an edge with the new sidewall of the wafer102 to remove any contaminant particles from the first top surface areaof the wafer 102.

In some embodiments, the wafer trimming and cleaning apparatus furtherincludes a solution nozzle 110. The solution nozzle 110 is configured todirect a cleaning solution onto a second top surface area of the wafer102 to remove any contaminant particles that were not removed by thespray nozzle 126 and/or the shower nozzle 128. In some embodiments, thespray nozzle 126 and/or the shower nozzle 128 cause contaminantparticles and/or deionized water to be in the second top surface area ofthe wafer 102 and are ineffective in removing the contaminant particlesand/or deionized water from the second top surface area of the wafer102. The solution nozzle 110 is arranged such that the cleaning solutionis directed away from a center of the wafer 102 and towards the bladeapparatus 104 to dislodge and force the contaminant particles off of thewafer 102. Further, the cleaning solution has different contaminantparticle removal techniques than deionized water used by the spraynozzle 126 and the shower nozzle 128. For example, in some embodiments,the cleaning solution applied by the solution nozzle 110 may comprisenanobubbles distributed throughout deionized water or some other liquidsolution. A nanobubble is a bubble (e.g., gas) within a solution thathas a diameter less than 1 micrometer. In some embodiments, a nanobubblehas a diameter of, for example, approximately 100 nanometers. In someembodiments, the nanobubbles may provide, for example, more agitation todislodge contaminant particles than a solution without nanobubbles. Insome embodiments, the interface of the nanobubbles and deionized watermay have a higher energy than the interface of the contaminants and thewafer 102, which aids in removing the contaminant particles from thewafer. In other embodiments, the cleaning solution applied by thesolution nozzle 110 comprise a surfactant, which may, for example, breakthe attractive forces between the contaminant particles and the wafer102 and further remove contaminant particles from the wafer 102 withoutredeposition.

In some embodiments, the wafer trimming and cleaning apparatus furtherincludes an air jet nozzle 112. The air jet nozzle 112 is configured toapply a pressurized gas onto a third top surface area of the wafer 102to remove any remaining contaminant particles. The third top surfacearea of the wafer 102 includes the first and second top surface areas.Thus, the air jet nozzle 112 is arranged to clean a larger top surfacearea of the wafer 102 than the solution nozzle 110 and the bladeapparatus 104, and the air jet nozzle 112 is arranged to utilize aplanar flow to dislodge any remaining contaminant particles, cleaningsolutions, and deionized water away from the center of the wafer 102 andtowards the blade 124.

Thus, the wafer trimming and cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1A utilizes theblade 124, the water nozzles (the spray nozzle 126, the shower nozzle128, and the blade cooler nozzle 130), the solution nozzle 110, and theair jet nozzle 112 to trim a damaged edge portion of the wafer 102 andsubsequently clean the nearby undamaged edge portion of the wafer 102 byremoving contaminant particles generated by trimming. The wafer andcleaning apparatus is configured to conduct the cleaning in the samechamber (e.g., in-situ) with the trimming such that no time is added tothe manufacturing process.

FIG. 1B illustrates a cross-sectional view 100B of some embodiments ofthe wafer trimming and cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1A.

The cross-sectional view 100B of FIG. 1B includes the same features asand corresponds to the perspective view 100A of FIG. 1A. The wafer 102is illustrated as transparent such that the blade apparatus 104 is stillvisible. In some embodiments, the blade 124 has a lowest surface that isbelow a lowest surface of the wafer 102 such that the blade 124completely cuts through the wafer 102. Further, in some embodiments, thewafer chuck 122 is configured to have a diameter that is smaller thanthe diameter of the wafer 102, such that the wafer chuck 122 does notinterfere with the blade 124. Similarly, the wafer chuck 122 isconfigured to have a diameter that is smaller than the trim path 108 ofthe wafer 102, such that the wafer chuck 122 does not interfere with theblade 124. Thus, in some embodiments, the blade apparatus 104 does notdirectly overlie the wafer chuck 122 (see, the perspective view 100A ofFIG. 1A). In some embodiments, the solution nozzle 110 and the air jetnozzle 112 do directly overlie the wafer chuck 122. In otherembodiments, the solution nozzle 110 and the air jet nozzle 112 directlyoverlie the wafer 102 but not the wafer chuck 122. Further, in someembodiments, the wafer 102 comprises a stack of multiple wafers bondedto one another. Thus, the blade 124 may have a lowest surface that isbelow a lowest surface of the stack of multiple wafers bonded to oneanother.

FIG. 1C illustrates a top-view 100C of some embodiments of a waferhaving a damaged edge portion corresponding to the perspective view 100Aof FIG. 1A.

The top-view 100C of FIG. 1C includes some additional features of thewafer 102 of FIGS. 1A and 1B. In some embodiments, the wafer 102comprises a damaged edge portion 102 d surrounding an undamaged edgeportion 102 u and a central portion 102 c. The damaged edge portion 102d may comprise damaged areas such as warped regions, non-bonded regions,or pinched regions, making the damaged edge portion 102 d unsuitable forelectronic devices. The damaged edge portion 102 d and the undamagededge portion 102 u may, in some embodiments, each be ring shaped. Theundamaged edge portion 102 u may separate the damaged edge portion 102 dfrom the central portion 102 c. Further, in some embodiments, aninterface between the damaged edge portion 102 d and the undamaged edgeportion 102 u may define the trim path 108. In other embodiments, thetrim path 108 may intersect the undamaged edge portion 102 u, such thatthe damaged edge portion 102 d and an outer area of the undamaged edgeportion 102 u are removed during trimming, while majority of theundamaged edge portion 102 u is not removed from the wafer 102.

In some embodiments, from the top-view 100C, the blade apparatus (104 ofFIG. 1A) has a first spray area 104 a and is configured to applydeionized water to the wafer 102 at the first spray area 104 a. Thefirst spray area 104 a moves with the blade apparatus (104 of FIG. 1A)and may, for example, be the same as, include, or otherwise correspondto a first top surface area of the wafer 102 that is cleaned by theblade apparatus (104 of FIG. 1A). In some embodiments, an outline of thefirst spray area 104 a is the same as that of the first top surfacearea. As the blade apparatus moves (104 of FIG. 1A), the first sprayarea 104 a overlaps with the damaged edge portion 102 d at a locationahead of the blade (124 of FIG. 1A) and overlaps with the new sidewallat a location behind the blade (124 of FIG. 1A). Hence, the bladeapparatus (104 of FIG. 1A) may clean the new sidewall as the bladeapparatus (104 of FIG. 1A) moves. The deionized water may be applied bythe spray nozzle (126 of FIG. 1A) and/or the shower nozzle (128 of FIG.1A) to the new sidewall of the wafer 102. In some embodiments, the firstspray area 104 a also overlaps the undamaged edge portion 102 u.

In some embodiments, the solution nozzle (110 of FIG. 1A) has a secondspray area 110 a and is configured to apply the cleaning solution to thewafer at the second spray area 110 a. The second spray area 110 a moveswith the blade apparatus (104 of FIG. 1A) and may, for example, be thesame as, include, or otherwise correspond to a second top surface areaof the wafer that is cleaned by the solution nozzle (110 of FIG. 1A). Insome embodiments, an outline of the second spray area 110 a is the sameas that of the second top surface area. The second spray area 110 aoverlaps with the undamaged edge portion 102 u of the wafer 102 and mayborder the first spray area 104 a. In some embodiments, the second sprayarea 110 a shares an edge with the new sidewall of the wafer 102 and/oroverlaps with the first spray area 104 a. In other embodiments, thesecond spray area 110 a does not overlap with the first spray area 104a.

In some embodiments, the air jet nozzle (112 of FIG. 1A) has a thirdspray area 112 a and is configured to apply the pressurized gas to thewafer 102 at the third spray area 112 a. The third spray area 112 amoves with the blade apparatus (104 of FIG. 1A) and may be the same as,include, or otherwise correspond to a third top surface area of theundamaged edge portion 102 u the wafer 102. In some embodiments, anoutline of the third spray area 112 a is the same as that of the thirdtop surface area. Further, in some embodiments, the third spray area 112a overlaps with and is larger than the first spray area 104 a and thesecond spray area 110 a. Thus, in some embodiments, the third spray area112 a directly overlies portions of both the undamaged edge portion 102u and the damaged edge portion 102 d.

Therefore, the spray and/or shower nozzles (126, 128 of FIG. 1A), thesolution nozzle (110 of FIG. 1A), and the air jet nozzle (112 of FIG.1A) of the wafer trimming and cleaning apparatus of FIG. 1A effectivelyremove contaminant particles generated by the blade (124 of FIG. 1A)from the first spray area 104 a, the second spray area 110 a, and thethird spray area 112 a of the wafer, respectively, while removing thedamaged edge portion 102 d of the wafer 102 to produce a reliable wafer.

FIG. 2A illustrates a perspective view 200A of some alternativeembodiments of a wafer trimming and cleaning apparatus.

The wafer trimming and cleaning apparatus in the perspective view 200Aof FIG. 2A includes the same features as in the perspective view 100A ofFIG. 1A, except without the solution nozzle (110 of FIG. 1A). In someembodiments, the air jet nozzle 112 effectively removes contaminantparticles generated by the blade 124 that were not removed by the spraynozzle 126 and/or the shower nozzle 128. The air jet nozzle 112 alsoutilizes pressurized gas to push any remaining contaminant particles anddeionized water from the spray nozzle 126, the shower nozzle 128, andthe blade cooler nozzle 130 off of the wafer 102. Without the solutionnozzle (110 of FIG. 1A), less materials (e.g., the cleaning solution)are used and thus, less waste (e.g., the cleaning solution) is produced.

In some embodiments, the wafer chuck 122 is configured to rotate 202while the blade apparatus 104 and the air jet nozzle 112 remain fixedsuch that the wafer 102 moves towards the blade 124 for trimming. Inother embodiments (not shown), the wafer chuck 122 may be configured tobe fixed while the blade apparatus 104 and the air jet nozzle 112 movealong the trim path 108. In some embodiments, the wafer chuck 122 may beconfigured to rotate 202 at a speed of, for example, approximately 1degree per second, in order to prevent the wafer 102 from breaking upontrimming.

FIG. 2B illustrates a cross-sectional view 200B of some embodiments ofthe wafer trimming and cleaning apparatus of FIG. 2A. Thus, the wafertrimming and cleaning apparatus of the cross-sectional view 200Bincludes the same features as the cross-sectional view 100B of FIG. 1B,except without the solution nozzle (110 of FIG. 1B).

FIG. 2C illustrates a top-view 200C of some embodiments of a waferhaving a damaged edge portion corresponding to the perspective view ofFIG. 2A. Thus, the top-view 100C of FIG. 2C illustrates the samefeatures of the top-view 100C of FIG. 1C, except without the secondspray area (110 a of FIG. 1C) because the solution nozzle (110 of FIG.1A) is not included in the embodiment of the wafer trimming and cleaningapparatus in FIGS. 2A-2C. Nevertheless, in some embodiments, the thirdspray area 112 a overlaps the first spray area 104 a. The first sprayarea 104 a overlies the damaged edge portion 102 d and also a partiallyoverlies the new sidewall. As such, the blade apparatus (104 of FIG. 2A)is configured to remove the damaged edge portion 102 d and also removecontaminant particles from the new sidewall of the wafer 102 by applyingdeionized water. In some embodiments, the air jet nozzle (112 of FIG.2A) is configured to apply the pressurized gas that is directed towardsthe third spray area 112 a of the wafer 102. The third spray area 112 aincludes the first spray area 104 a. Thus, the air jet nozzle (112 ofFIG. 2A) further cleans a larger portion of the wafer than the bladeapparatus to ensure the complete, or near complete, removal ofcontaminant particles generated by the blade apparatus (104 of FIG. 2A)during the removal of the damaged edge portion 102 d.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view 300 of some embodiments of anair jet nozzle.

The air jet nozzle 112 and the wafer 102 of FIG. 3 may correspond tosome embodiments of the air jet nozzle 112 and the wafer 102 illustratedin FIGS. 1A and 2A. In some embodiments, a first antistatic system 302is coupled to the air jet nozzle 112. In some embodiments, the firstantistatic system 302 may comprise a first input line 304 and a secondinput line 306. The first antistatic system 302 may be configured toprocess a first gas from the first input line 304 and a second gas fromthe second input line 306 to produce a pressurized gas 308 that is notelectrically charged. When the pressurized gas 308 is not electricallycharged (e.g., the pressurized gas 308 is neutral), the pressurized gas308 can effectively remove contaminant particles without theinterference of electrical interactions. In some embodiments, thepressurized gas 308 may be directed towards the wafer 102 at a firstangle A and generate a planar pressurized gas flow 308 p to force offany contaminant particles and/or liquid solutions for cleaning from thewafer 102. The first angle A is greater than 90 degrees such that theplanar pressurized gas flow 308 p directs contaminant particles and/orliquid solutions away from a center of the wafer 102 and towards theedge of the wafer 102 by using a planar flow. Thus, in some embodiments,the first angle A may be an obtuse angle. In some embodiments, the airjet nozzle 112 is directed towards the wafer 102 such that thepressurized gas 308 first contacts the wafer 102 at a first distance d₁from an edge of the wafer 102.

In some embodiments, the first input line 304 receives a propellant,which may be a liquid, and the second input line 306 receives liquid orgas carbon dioxide. In such embodiments, the pressurized gas 308 mayinclude a mixture of carbon dioxide gas and carbon dioxide solidparticles. For example, in some embodiments, the propellant may enterthe first antistatic system 302 through the first input line 304 and maybe expelled from the first antistatic system 302 and the air jet nozzle112 while carrying the liquid or gas carbon dioxide. As such, thepropellant propels the liquid or gas carbon dioxide onto the wafer 102.The different states of the carbon dioxide in the pressurized gas 308dislodge contaminant particles and push the dislodged contaminantparticles off of the wafer 102. This process may be known as carbondioxide snow cleaning. Thus, in some embodiments, the pressurized gas308 may also include a mixture of gas and liquid. In other embodiments,the pressurized gas 308 may include only gases. In some embodiments,only the first input line 304 is needed because only one gas is used asthe pressurized gas 308. In other embodiments, more than two input linesare coupled to the air jet nozzle 112. In some embodiments, the air jetnozzle 112 is directly coupled to the first input line 304 without thefirst antistatic system 302.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cross-sectional view 400 of some embodiments of asolution nozzle.

The solution nozzle 110 and the wafer 102 of FIG. 4 may correspond tosome embodiments of the solution nozzle 110 and the wafer 102illustrated in FIGS. 1A and 2A. In some embodiments, the secondantistatic system 402 is coupled to the solution nozzle 110. In someembodiments, the second antistatic system 402 may comprise a third inputline 404 and a fourth input line 406. In some embodiments, the secondantistatic system 402 may be configured to: 1) receive a gas from thethird input line 404 and a liquid from the fourth input line 406,process the gas and the liquid; and 2) produce a cleaning solution 408that is not electrically charged and comprises the gas distributed inthe liquid. The cleaning solution 408 can effectively remove contaminantparticles without the interference of electrical interactions.

The cleaning solution 408 may be directed towards the wafer at a secondangle B by the solution nozzle 110. The second angle B is greater than90 degrees such that when the cleaning solution 408 hits the wafer 102,the directed cleaning solution 408 d then directs contaminant particlesand/or liquid solutions away from a center of the wafer 102 and towardsthe edge of the wafer 102. Thus, in some embodiments, the second angle Bmay be an obtuse angle. In some embodiments, the solution nozzle 110 isconfigured such that the cleaning solution 408 first contacts the wafer102 at a second distance d₂ from an edge of the wafer 102.

In some embodiments, the cleaning solution 408 may comprise nanobubblesdispersed in a liquid solution. Thus, the liquid solution, such asdeionized water, may enter the second antistatic system 402 through thethird input line 404, and a gas, such as carbon dioxide, may enter thesecond antistatic system 402 through the fourth input line 406. In otherembodiments, the cleaning solution 408 may comprise a surfactant. Insome embodiments, for example, the cleaning solution 408 may be ahydrocarbon surfactant. In some embodiments, the solution nozzle 110 isdirectly coupled to the third input line 404 without the secondantistatic system 402 and the fourth input line 406. In someembodiments, only the third input line 404 is coupled to the solutionnozzle 110, whereas in other embodiments, more than two input lines maybe coupled to the solution nozzle 110. In other embodiments, thecleaning solution 408 may comprise: 1) dilute hydrofluoric acid having avolume concentration in the range of between approximately 0.1 percentand approximately 2 percent; 2) ozonated water; 3) an SC1 cleaninghaving 40 parts water, 1 part hydrogen peroxide, and 1 part ammoniahydroxide; or 4) a combination thereof.

FIG. 5 illustrates a cross-sectional view 500 of some embodiments of awafer cleaning apparatus comprising an air jet nozzle and a cleaningsolution.

The wafer cleaning apparatus includes the solution 110 of FIG. 4 and theair jet nozzle 112 of FIG. 3 configured to clean the wafer 102. The airjet nozzle 112 and the solution nozzle 110 are arranged to direct thepressurized gas 308 and the cleaning solution 408 towards a same edge ofthe wafer 102 to effectively remove contaminant particles away from acenter of the wafer 102 and towards the same edge of the wafer 102. Insome embodiments, the solution nozzle 110 and the air jet nozzle 112 areseparate and distinct from one another. Thus, in some embodiments, thesolution nozzle 110 and the air jet nozzle 112 may be controlledseparately from one another. In some embodiments, the first distance d₁is greater than the second distance d₂. In some embodiments, thesolution nozzle 110 is configured to apply the cleaning solution 408during a first time period, and the air jet nozzle 112 is configured toapply the pressurized gas 308 during a second time period. In someembodiments, the first time period is before and does not overlap thesecond time period. The pressurized gas 308 then removes any contaminantparticles and remaining cleaning solution 408 on the wafer 102. In someembodiments, the first time period is before and at least partiallyoverlaps the second time period. In other embodiments, the first timeperiod and the second time period are the same. In some embodiments, thefirst angle A may be greater than the second angle B. In otherembodiments (not shown), the first angle A may be less than or equal tothe second angle B. Nevertheless, both the first angle A and the secondangle B are greater than 90 degrees in order to direct contaminantparticles away from a center of the wafer and towards the edge of thewafer.

FIGS. 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, 8A, and 8B illustrate cross-sectional views andtop-views 600A, 600B, 700A, 700B, 800A, and 800B of some embodiments ofa method for trimming and cleaning a wafer having a damaged edgeportion. Although FIGS. 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, 8A, and 8B are described inrelation to a method, it will be appreciated that the structuresdisclosed in FIGS. 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, 8A, and 8B are not limited to such amethod, but instead may stand alone as structures independent of themethod.

As shown in the cross-sectional view 600A of FIG. 6A, the bladeapparatus 104 is turned on, such that the blade 124 is rotating 606 totrim the wafer 102 and such that the blade cooler nozzle 130, the spraynozzle 126, and the shower nozzle 128 are all applying deionized water602 to remove contaminant particles. Deionized water may be used toremove contaminant particles without the interference of electricalinteractions. The embodiment in the cross-sectional view 600A of FIG. 6Ahas the same features as the perspective view 100A of FIG. 1A. In someembodiments, the blade 124 rotates 606 and the blade cooler nozzle 130,the spray nozzle 126, and the shower nozzle 128 apply deionized water602 during a first time period. In some embodiments, the blade 124rotates 606 as the wafer chuck 122 continuously rotates while the bladeapparatus 104, the solution nozzle 110 and the air jet nozzle 112 arefixed, such that the blade 124 continuously trims the wafer 102 alongthe trim path 108. In some embodiments, the trim path 108 defines acircumference of the wafer 102 after trimming. In other embodiments, itis the blade apparatus 104, the solution nozzle 110 and the air jetnozzle 112 that continuously rotate while the wafer chuck 122 is fixedsuch that the blade 124 continuously trims the wafer 102 along the trimpath 108.

The top-view 600B of FIG. 6B corresponds to the cross-sectional view600A of FIG. 6A. As shown in the top-view 600B of FIG. 6B, the wafer 102has a damaged edge portion 102 d surrounding an undamaged edge portion102 u and a central portion 102 c of the wafer 102, similar to thefeatures of the wafer 102 in the top-view 100C of FIG. 1C and to thewafer 102 in the top-view 200C of FIG. 2C. In the top-view 600B, theblade (124 of FIG. 6A) has partially trimmed off the damaged edgeportion 102 d of the wafer 102 along the trim path 108 during the firsttime period. Further, the spray nozzle (126 of FIG. 6A), the showernozzle (128 of FIG. 6A), and the blade cooler nozzle (130 of FIG. 6A)have applied deionized water 602 to the wafer 102 at first spray area104 a to remove contaminant particles 604. The first spray area 104 aoverlaps with a new sidewall 102 s of the wafer 102 defined by the blade(124 of FIG. 6A) during the first time period. Contaminant particles 604may accumulate on the new sidewall 102 s of the wafer 102. Further, thefirst spray area 104 a may overlap with a first top surface area toremove any contaminant particles 604 on the undamaged edge portion 102 uof the wafer 102 in the first spray area 104 a. However, in someembodiments, the spray nozzle (126 of FIG. 6A), the shower nozzle (128of FIG. 6A), and the blade cooler nozzle (130 of FIG. 6A) do not directthe contaminant particles 604 away from the central portion 102 c of thewafer 102. Instead, while some of the contaminant particles 604 may beremoved from the new sidewall 102 s and the undamaged edge portion 102 uof the wafer 102, other contaminant particles 604 may be left behind onthe undamaged edge portion 102 u of the wafer that are outside of thefirst spray area 104 a.

As shown in the cross-sectional view 700A of FIG. 7A, the solutionnozzle 110 applies a cleaning solution 702 to the wafer 102 during asecond time period. The solution nozzle 110 is configured to apply thecleaning solution 702 at a second angle (B of FIG. 4 ) to dislodge andremove the contaminant particles (604 of FIG. 6A) on the wafer 102, aswell as any remaining deionized water on the wafer 102.

The top-view 700B of FIG. 7B corresponds to the cross-sectional view700A of FIG. 7A. As shown in the top-view 700B of FIG. 7B, the cleaningsolution is applied 702 to dislodge and remove the contaminant particles604 of FIG. 6B in a second spray area 110 a that partially overlaps thefirst spray area (104 a of FIG. 6B). The application of the cleaningsolution 702 pushes the contaminant particles 604 and deionized wateraway from the central portion 102 c of the wafer 102 and towards the newsidewall 102 s of the wafer 102 for removal. However, in someembodiments, some of the contaminant particles 604 may still be left ona top surface of the wafer 102 within the second spray area 110 a.Further, in some embodiments, some of the contaminant particles 604 maybe left on a top surface of the wafer 102 that is outside of the secondspray area 110 a.

As shown in the cross-sectional view 800A of FIG. 8A, the air jet nozzle112 applies a pressurized gas 802 to the wafer 102 during a third timeperiod. The air jet nozzle 112 is configured to apply the pressurizedgas 802 at a first angle (A of FIG. 3 ) to dislodge and remove thecontaminant particles (604 of FIG. 7A) on the wafer 102 generated by theblade 124 during the first time period; any remaining deionized water onthe wafer 102 generated by the the spray nozzle 126, the shower nozzle128, and the blade cooler nozzle 130 during the first time period; andany remaining cleaning solution on the wafer 102 generated by thesolution nozzle 110 during the second time period.

The top-view 800B of FIG. 8B corresponds to the cross-sectional view800A of FIG. 8A. As shown in the top-view 800B of FIG. 8B, thepressurized gas is applied 802 to the wafer 102 to dislodge and removethe contaminant particles 604 of FIG. 7B at a third spray area 112 a.The third spray area 112 a includes and is larger than the first sprayarea (104 a of FIG. 6B) and the second spray area (110 a of FIG. 7B).The application of the pressurized gas 802 pushes the contaminantparticles 604 and any remaining deionized water and/or cleaning solutionaway from the central portion 102 c of the wafer 102 and towards the newsidewall 102 s of the wafer 102 for removal. Thus, the application ofthe cleaning solution (702 of FIG. 7B) on the wafer 102 at the secondspray area (110 a of FIG. 7B), and the application of the pressurizedgas 802 on the wafer 102 at the third spray area 112 a effectivelyremove contaminant particles off of top surfaces of the wafer 102.

It will be appreciated that in some embodiments of a wafer trimming andcleaning apparatus, the solution nozzle (110 of FIG. 8A) is not present,as in the embodiment in FIGS. 2A, 2B and 2C. Thus, in such embodiments,a method for trimming and cleaning a wafer having a damaged edge portiondoes not include FIGS. 7A and 7B; instead, FIG. 8A proceeds from FIG.6B. Further, it will be appreciated that in some embodiments, the airjet nozzle (112 of FIG. 6A) may comprise a first antistatic system (302of FIG. 3 ), and/or the solution nozzle (110 of FIG. 6A) may comprise asecond antistatic system (402 of FIG. 4 ) through the embodiments inFIGS. 6A, 7A, and 8A.

In some embodiments, the first time period, the second time period, andthe third time period may completely overlap with one another. Forexample, in such embodiments, the wafer (102 of FIG. 6A) is continuouslytrimmed by the blade (124 of FIG. 6A) as the wafer chuck (114 of FIG.1A) continuously rotates. While the blade (124 of FIG. 6A) continuouslytrims the wafer (102 of FIG. 6A), the water nozzles (126, 128, 130 ofFIG. 6A), the solution nozzle (110 of FIG. 7A), and the air jet nozzle(112 of FIG. 8A) are continuously on to remove contaminant particles(604 of FIG. 6A). Thus, the cleaning of the wafer (102 of FIG. 6A)occurs while the blade (124 of FIG. 6A) is trimming the wafer (102 ofFIG. 6A), such that the addition of the solution nozzle (110 of FIG. 7A)and the air jet nozzle (112 of FIG. 8A) do not add time to the wafertrimming process.

In other embodiments, the first time period may overlap with the secondtime period and the third time period, but the second time period maynot overlap with the third time period. For example, in such otherembodiments, the blade (124 of FIG. 6A) may continuously trim the wafer(102 of FIG. 6A) while the water nozzles (126, 128, 130 of FIG. 6A)continuously apply deionized water in the first spray area (104 a ofFIG. 6B) as the wafer chuck (114 of FIG. 6A) rotates (202 of FIG. 2A).While the trimming and the applying of the deionized water occur, thesolution nozzle (110 of FIG. 7A) and the air jet nozzle (112 of FIG. 8A)may clean the wafer (102 of FIG. 6A) in an alternating cycle. Forexample, the solution nozzle (110 of FIG. 7A) may be turned on to applythe cleaning solution to the second spray area (110 a of FIG. 7B) whilethe air jet nozzle (112 of FIG. 8A) is off. Then, after the solutionnozzle (110 of FIG. 7A) is turned off, the air jet nozzle (112 of FIG.8A) may be turned on to apply the pressurized gas to the third sprayarea (112 a of FIG. 8B). This may repeat as the trimming and theapplying of the deionized water proceeds.

In yet other embodiments, the second time period may completely overlapwith the first time period, the third time period may completely overlapwith the first time period, and the second time period may onlypartially overlap with the third time period. For example, in suchembodiments, the blade (124 of FIG. 6A) may continuously trim the wafer(102 of FIG. 6A) while the water nozzles (126, 128, 130 of FIG. 6A)continuously apply deionized water in the first spray area (104 a ofFIG. 6B) as the wafer chuck (114 of FIG. 6A) rotates (202 of FIG. 2A).While the trimming and the applying of the deionized water occur, thesolution nozzle (110 of FIG. 7A) and the air jet nozzle (112 of FIG. 8A)may cyclically clean the wafer (102 of FIG. 6A). For example, thesolution nozzle (110 of FIG. 7A) may be turned on to apply the cleaningsolution to the second spray area (110 a of FIG. 7B). Then, as thesolution nozzle (110 of FIG. 7A) is turning off, the air jet nozzle (112of FIG. 8A) may be turned on to apply the pressurized gas to the thirdspray area (112 a of FIG. 8B). Then, as the air jet nozzle (112 of FIG.8A) is turning off, the solution nozzle (110 of FIG. 7A) may be turnedback on. This may repeat as the trimming and the applying of thedeionized water proceeds.

Nevertheless, the blade (124 of FIG. 8A) continuously trims the damagededge portion 102 d along the trim path 108 to define a new sidewall 102s on an undamaged edge portion 102 u of the wafer. As the blade (124 ofFIG. 8A) continuously trims, the steps to remove contaminant particles604 as illustrated in FIGS. 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, 8A, and 8B are performedin-situ, or in the same chamber, with the blade trimming, providing andeffective method to remove contaminant particles 604 from a wafer 102without increasing production time.

FIG. 9 illustrates a flow diagram of some embodiments of a method 900for trimming and cleaning a wafer having a damaged edge portion, asillustrated in FIGS. 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B, 8A, and 8B.

While method 900 is illustrated and described below as a series of actsor events, it will be appreciated that the illustrated ordering of suchacts or events are not to be interpreted in a limiting sense. Forexample, some acts may occur in different orders and/or concurrentlywith other acts or events apart from those illustrated and/or describedherein. In addition, not all illustrated acts may be required toimplement one or more aspects or embodiments of the description herein.Further, one or more of the acts depicted herein may be carried out inone or more separate acts and/or phases.

At 902, a damaged edge portion of a wafer is trimmed with a blade todefine a new sidewall of the wafer.

At 904, deionized water is applied to the new sidewall of the wafer withwater nozzles to remove contaminant particles produced by the blade.FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate a cross-sectional view 600A and a top-view600B, respectively, of some embodiments corresponding to acts 902 and904.

At 906, a cleaning solution is applied to a first top surface area ofthe wafer with a solution nozzle to direct contaminant particles awayfrom a center of the wafer towards the new sidewall. FIGS. 7A and 7Billustrate a cross-sectional view 700A and a top-view 700B,respectively, of some embodiments corresponding to act 906.

At 908, pressurized gas is applied to a second top surface area of thewafer with a solution nozzle to direct contaminant particles away fromthe center of the wafer and towards the new sidewall, wherein the secondtop surface area is larger than and overlaps with the first top surfacearea. FIGS. 8A and 8B illustrate a cross-sectional view 800A and atop-view 800B, respectively, of some embodiments corresponding to act908.

Therefore, the present disclosure relates to a new wafer trimming andcleaning apparatus and corresponding method to remove a damaged edgeportion of wafer and to effectively remove any corresponding contaminantparticles by utilizing multiple cleaning nozzles having differentparticle removal techniques.

Accordingly, in some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to awafer trimming and cleaning apparatus, comprising: a blade configured totrim a damaged edge portion of a wafer and to define a new sidewall ofthe wafer; water nozzles configured to apply deionized water to the newsidewall of the wafer to remove contaminant particles generated by theblade; and an air jet nozzle configured to apply pressurized gas to afirst top surface area of the wafer to remove the contaminant particlesgenerated by the blade, wherein the first top surface area overlies thenew sidewall of the wafer.

In other embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a wafer trimmingand cleaning apparatus, comprising: a blade configured to remove adamaged edge portion of a wafer but not an undamaged edge portion of thewafer, wherein removal of the damaged edge portion by the blade definesa new sidewall of the wafer; a wafer chuck configured to support thewafer; water nozzles having a first spray area configured to overlap andclean the new sidewall of the wafer at the blade; a solution nozzlehaving a second spray area configured to overlap and clean the undamagededge portion of the wafer at the blade, wherein the second spray areaborders the first spray area; and an air jet nozzle directed outwardaway from a center of the wafer chuck and having a third spray areaconfigured to overlap the undamaged edge portion of the wafer at theblade, wherein the third spray area is larger than and includes thesecond spray area.

In yet other embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a method fortrimming and cleaning an edge of a wafer, the method comprising:trimming a damaged edge portion of the wafer with a blade to define anew sidewall of the wafer, wherein trimming produces contaminantparticles on the wafer; applying deionized water to the new sidewall ofthe wafer with water nozzles to remove the contaminant particles; andapplying pressurized gas to the wafer at a first top surface area of thewafer with an air jet nozzle, wherein the pressurized gas is directedoutward from a center of the wafer to remove remaining contaminantparticles, and wherein the applying of deionized water and the applyingof pressurized gas are performed in a same chamber as the trimming.

The foregoing outlines features of several embodiments so that thoseskilled in the art may better understand the aspects of the presentdisclosure. Those skilled in the art should appreciate that they mayreadily use the present disclosure as a basis for designing or modifyingother processes and structures for carrying out the same purposes and/orachieving the same advantages of the embodiments introduced herein.Those skilled in the art should also realize that such equivalentconstructions do not depart from the spirit and scope of the presentdisclosure, and that they may make various changes, substitutions, andalterations herein without departing from the spirit and scope of thepresent disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for trimming and cleaning an edge of awafer, the method comprising: trimming an outer edge portion of thewafer with a blade along a continuously connected trim path to define anew sidewall of the wafer, wherein trimming produces contaminantparticles on the wafer; applying deionized water to the new sidewall ofthe wafer with water nozzles to remove the contaminant particles; andapplying pressurized gas to the wafer at a first top surface area of thewafer with an air jet nozzle, wherein the pressurized gas is directedoutward from a center of the wafer to remove remaining contaminantparticles, and wherein the applying of the deionized water and theapplying of the pressurized gas are performed in a same chamber as thetrimming.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first top surface areaof the wafer overlies the new sidewall of the wafer, and wherein thepressurized gas is applied at an obtuse angle with the first top surfacearea of the wafer to force the contaminant particles away from thecenter of the wafer and towards the blade for removal.
 3. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the wafer includes multiple layers of differentmaterials.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the trimming and theapplying of the deionized water are performed at a first time, andwherein the applying of the pressurized gas is performed at a secondtime after the first time.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:applying a cleaning solution to a second top surface area of the waferwith a solution nozzle to remove remaining contaminant particles,wherein the second top surface area of the wafer shares an edge with thenew sidewall, wherein the first top surface area includes and is largerthan the second top surface area, and wherein the applying of thecleaning solution is performed in the same chamber as the trimming. 6.The method of claim 5, wherein the applying of the cleaning solution isperformed between the applying of the deionized water and the applyingof the pressurized gas.
 7. The method of claim 5, wherein the applyingof the deionized water, the applying of the cleaning solution, and theapplying of the pressurized gas are performed simultaneously.
 8. Amethod comprising: removing an outer edge portion of a wafer along acontinuously connected trim path using a blade, wherein the trim pathseparates the outer edge portion of the wafer from an inner edge portionof the wafer, wherein the removal of the outer edge portion by the bladedefines a new sidewall of the wafer, and wherein the new sidewall of thewafer is based on the trim path; applying water to a first spray area ofthe wafer with water nozzles to clean the new sidewall of the wafer,wherein the first spray area overlaps with the new sidewall of the waferat the blade; applying a cleaning solution to a second spray area of thewafer with a solution nozzle to clean the inner edge portion of thewafer, wherein the second spray area overlaps with the inner edgeportion of the wafer at the blade, and wherein the second spray areaborders the first spray area; and applying pressurized gas to a thirdspray area of the wafer with an air jet nozzle, wherein the pressurizedgas is directed outward away from a center of the wafer, and wherein thethird spray area is larger than and includes the second spray area. 9.The method of claim 8, further comprising: loading the wafer onto awafer chuck; and rotating the wafer chuck during the removing and theapplying of the water, the cleaning solution, and the pressurized gas.10. The method of claim 8, wherein the applying of the water isperformed during a first time period, wherein the applying of thecleaning solution is performed during a second time period, wherein theapplying of the pressurized gas is performed during a third time period,and wherein the first, second, and third time periods overlap with oneanother.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the applying of the water,the applying of the cleaning solution, and the applying of thepressurized gas are performed simultaneously.
 12. The method of claim 8,wherein the removing, the applying of the water, the applying of thecleaning solution, and the applying of the pressurized gas are performedin-situ.
 13. The method of claim 8, wherein the pressurized gas isapplied at a first obtuse angle with a top surface of the wafer, whereinthe cleaning solution is applied at a second obtuse angle with the topsurface of the wafer, and wherein the second obtuse angle is less thanthe first obtuse angle.
 14. The method of claim 8, wherein a firstantistatic system is coupled to the air jet nozzle such that thepressurized gas is uncharged.
 15. The method of claim 8, furthercomprising: distributing nanobubbles in the cleaning solution prior toapplying the cleaning solution.
 16. A method comprising: trimming anouter edge portion of a wafer using a blade to define a new sidewall ofthe wafer; applying deionized water to the new sidewall of the waferusing water nozzles to remove contaminant particles generated by thetrimming; applying pressurized gas to a top surface of the wafer andaway from a center of the wafer with an air jet nozzle to remove thecontaminant particles generated by the trimming; and applying a cleaningsolution to the top surface of the wafer and away from the center of thewafer to remove the contaminant particles generated by the trimming. 17.The method of claim 16, wherein the blade and the water nozzles arecoupled to a blade apparatus.
 18. The method of claim 16, furthercomprising: applying deionized water to the blade using the waternozzles to reduce a temperature of the blade.
 19. The method of claim16, wherein the pressurized gas is applied at a first obtuse angle withthe top surface of the wafer, wherein the cleaning solution is appliedat a second obtuse angle with the top surface of the wafer, and whereinthe second obtuse angle is less than the first obtuse angle.
 20. Themethod of claim 16, the trimming, the applying of the deionized water,the applying of the cleaning solution, and the applying of thepressurized gas are performed simultaneously.